Manager - Ops Innovation

About the position

We are seeking a Manager, Ops Innovation to help define, test, and scale operational improvement initiatives across restaurants and markets. This role will partner with a highly cross-functional team to identify creative, practical solutions that improve speed of service, order accuracy, process design, operational efficiency, automation, and consistency across the brand. This role partners cross-functionally within the organization, including domestic and international teams, particularly with Operations, Development, Procurement, Technology, and externally with third-party vendors. Clear communication and project planning are critical, as is a proactive, flexible, and detail-oriented style.

Responsibilities

• Support Operations teams on initiatives that improve growth, profitability, operational excellence, guest experience, quality, and restaurant execution.
• Lead process analysis, R&D testing, and stress testing of new equipment, products, and operational solutions.
• Evaluate equipment and process feasibility by assessing capacity, throughput, labor impact, space requirements, maintenance needs, food quality impact, cost/ROI, and ease of restaurant execution.
• Design and execute structured tests of innovative solutions that improve efficiency across kitchens, dining rooms, order pickup, and delivery.
• Support Growth Strategy initiatives through project planning, data analysis, capacity planning, throughput analysis, work measurement, and solution development.
• Partner with cross-functional teams and third-party vendors to coordinate pilot testing, document learnings, and maintain clear visibility to test plans, timelines, risks, decisions needed, and recommendations.
• Identify restaurant-level process improvement opportunities through engineering analysis, time and motion studies, bottleneck analysis, workstation design, and back-of-house flow evaluation.
• Analyze restaurant practices and standard operating procedures to identify opportunities to improve speed, accuracy, labor efficiency, COGS, profitability, guest experience, and team member experience.
• Drive process innovation and simplification across operational procedures, ensuring solutions are practical, scalable, and easy for restaurants to execute.
• Translate test learnings into clear documentation, playbooks, process maps, SOP updates, training inputs, or rollout recommendations.
• Support prioritization of the Ops Innovation pipeline by evaluating business impact, feasibility, urgency, operational complexity, and resource needs.
• Support rollout readiness by identifying operational dependencies, training needs, communication requirements, risks, and support plans before broader deployment.
• Gather restaurant and operator feedback during pilots to identify execution barriers, team member experience impacts, guest impacts, and scalability considerations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in food & beverage, restaurant, operations, or process improvement environments.
• Experience supporting or leading operational testing, pilots, or rollout initiatives.
• Experience testing restaurant or manufacturing equipment and operational solutions.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple timelines, priorities, and initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills, including data analysis, process analysis, and cost-benefit analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Ability to communicate clearly across multiple functions and levels of the organization.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly cross-functional environment.
• Ability to travel as needed, up to 20%.

Nice-to-haves

• Project management certification.
• Experience with Power BI or similar reporting/analytics tools.
• Experience with time studies, motion studies, bottleneck analysis, capacity planning, or throughput analysis.
• Experience with restaurant design, workstation design, equipment capacity planning, or back-of-house flow.

Benefits

• Unlimited paid time off for exempt employees
• One paid volunteer day of your choice
• Competitive bonus structure for eligible roles
• Team member stock purchase plan
• Health savings or flexible spending account options
• 401k – (dollar for dollar on the first 3% and then 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2% for team member contributions up to 5% of eligible compensation)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Basic life and AD&D insurance provided
• Pet insurance
• Education Assistance
• Wellness reimbursement program
• Paid maternity and paternity leave
• Lunch provided every Tuesday and Thursday in office
• Discount on Wingstop gift cards
• Onsite game room